What Doesn't Kill You
by InzanityFirez
Summary: After his fight with Henry, an out-of-sorts Aidan gets more than he bargained for when an inadvertant wish brings Bishop back to life...at the cost of his own vampiric life and age.  Aidan&Co have to undo the wish before the present Aidan is lost forever.
1. The Devil on Your Shoulder

**Whoot! My first Being Human story! Whelp, I'll cut to the chase. Henry's presence kicked me into gear inspirationally for writing for BH. And as for Bishop…I'm really hoping he's not purely a hallucination, and for the purposes of this story, he definitely is not. XD So please enjoy, and leave me verbal hugs! P.S. I tried to make the beginning kind of like an episode beginning…so that's why it's all…philosophical…So there! XD**

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

What gives a life meaning? The things you've done, or might do, the people you've met or touched somehow? It was C.S. Lewis who said, "If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning." So then is the depth of something defined by how we're able to perceive it, regardless of it's actual value? Are a person's memories what define them, or something else? And if you lost what makes you 'you', your memories, your life, your essential being, then what are you left with? What are you then?

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**Being Human**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Aidan…This falls into the category of 'very bad idea'. So how about we get you back to that 'cute' little place with your oh-so-unendearing mongrel and call it a night?" Bishop cursed mentally as he received no reply besides a leering grin from Aidan.

Somehow, they'd gone from Aidan bemoaning his wayward son to Aidan deciding that he needed a drink. Which was reasonable in many respects, since Aidan had gone without for so long and since he'd just lost a fair bit fighting his obnoxious progeny. But what was unreasonable was Aidan's excess and his unclear thinking. The kind of thinking that led him to a sleazy, drug-rampant blood den that a vampire of his caliber had no business so much as glancing at. Not to mention, despite Aidan's considerable vampiric prowess, if enough orphans gathered against him in his current state…well, Bishop was simply not going to take the chance.

"Aidan: focus." Bishop tried to move ahead of Aidan as he waggled his brows at a half-conscious and half-dressed girl who was batting her eyes sluggishly up at him. Bishop tried to grab Aidan's arm and steer him away, but it was no use. His ability to physically connect with the other was contingent upon Aidan's allowance of it, whether he realized that or not. "Your system is adjusting to all that blood, you're not thinking clearly. So let's just-"

"Shh, don't be such a killjoy, Bishop..this is just like old times, what you wanted, right?" Aidan's eyes didn't leave the girl as he spoke, and he pushed her back against the wall as he slid a hand along her side.

"Old times are great, don't get me wrong. Here's the thing: I never took you dumpster diving for your blood."

"That's just mean." Aidan murmured as he ran slightly bloody fingers through the girl's hair. If she noted his apparently one-sided conversation, she gave no indication. "You're not trash, are you, sweetie?" The young woman giggled and didn't reply as she nipped at his neck. Aidan's grin widened as his eyes turned black and he bent to drink her blood.

Bishop watched his progeny, and the slowly alerted vampires around them. He didn't like this situation one bit, there were too many variables, too many enemies to Aidan now. And with Aidan binging on blood like a greedy child, blood that he had lost his previously high tolerance for-he was all but useless. A wastrel, a drunk, and at the moment: a problem. Bishop dropped the friendly tone and spoke lowly. "Aidan, think of Surren. If she found out about this…" Ah, bingo, he'd found a tender spot.

Aidan jerked at the name as if he'd been struck as he pulled away from the girl and his eyes slid over to Bishop slowly. "Surren." he repeated, and the girl just giggled again like it was something funny to hear another girl's name.

"That's right, Surren. The Princess, the one you're supposed to guide and lead so her dear mother doesn't chop your head off. The one who, as I recall, is very touchy about who her lovers dine on."

Aidan seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Surren's name was effective enough since Aidan pulled away fully and let the girl gently rest against the wall. His formerly stumbling steps had grown more precise as he stalked outside and stopped only when he'd gotten away from the den and found himself a quiet spot leaned up against the brick building wall. Aidan closed his eyes and inhaled as he tried to tell his newly reawakened bloodlust, or rather, stimulated bloodlust to _shut the Hell up_.

"You always were a bit of a glutton. Although, you could actually handle your blood back then." Bishop mused.

Aidan gave a dry laugh as he ran a hand over his face and then through his hair. "You fed just as much as I did."

"I couldn't just have you eating alone all the time."

"Right, that was it." Aidan shook his head with a faint, amused smile tugging wearily at his lips. He stared up at the sky a moment before his eyes found Bishop's. "I didn't want to."

"Pardon? …Feed, you mean?" Bishop clarified.

"No. Kill you. I didn't want to." Aidan said softly. Lucidity had returned to him somewhat, but he wasn't exactly right-minded either.

"Ah." Bishop was silent a moment before he inclined his head. "Didn't stop you, did it." It wasn't really a question, and he didn't expect an answer. So he was a bit surprised when Aidan's lips curved into a frown, an almost child-like pout on his face quite uncharacteristically. Apparently all the blood-binging was more psychologically damaging than he'd thought, if Aidan was seeing him and being so…foolish.

"You didn't give me a choice…I couldn't let you kill Josh. And what you were doing…"

"What? You mean liberating our kind from the shadows? Yes, I'm a terrible villain." Bishop said dryly.

"I would have come back eventually. You know that, don't you?" Aidan's gaze was focused on Bishop now, and he ignored the other's sarcasm. "I knew the house…that life…I couldn't do it forever…And you weren't supposed to die. Damnit, Bishop, it shouldn't have been that way!" Aidan's frustration fell as quickly as it had come. "You know I didn't hate you." he spoke softly again.

Did he? Bishop had thought he would always have Aidan's loyalty. What had started out as a pet project had become ultimately the most meaningful relationship in his existence. So when Aidan had left, he'd thought it a phase, but when Aidan had continued and flouted him, shown such disdain…he'd been sure that Aidan had come to hate him just like he'd seemed to come to hate his own vampiric nature. Ah well, he'd humor the other. "I know." he spoke gently, and this time when he reached for Aidan's shoulder, he was able to squeeze it tightly, a gesture of reassurance.

Aidan's hand slid up suddenly and gripped Bishop's wrist in what might have almost been painfully tight, if he could actually feel pain in his present state. "I mean it." he insisted.

Bishop, frankly, was stunned. And after a moment's hesitation, he sighed and brought his free hand up to cover Aidan's. "I know you didn't hate me, and didn't want to kill me, that's just the way it was. I wasn't going to stop, and you weren't going to let me continue. One of us had to die, and it happened to be me. No hard feelings, promise." he gave a mild, crooked grin but Aidan didn't seem to be appeased, if anything-he seemed more remorseful.

"That's not…I just wish…" Aidan's expression scrunched up a moment before he shook his head. "I want you back, not like this…as soon as the blood wears off, you'll disappear, just like she did." His wife, back when he'd hallucinated her too.

"And then you'll drink and I'll come back. See how that works? Our little secret." Bishop reassured him. Something was off but he couldn't pin his finger on what. There was no way all of this…gushing nonsense was a product of being blood-drunk, or not all of it-at least. This was something else. Maybe whatever the girl had been on had affected Aidan?

"What if you could have him back? Would you like that?" Both Aidan and Bishop turned to see a man at the edge of alley that led to the building and den entrance. He was clothed in a long cloak and a fedora-style hat pulled low over his face. "I might just be able to make it come true."

Aidan stiffened, on the defensive quickly enough as he eyed the newcomer warily. "Who are you?" Bishop was relieved that Aidan still had some of his wits about him, at least.

"Just someone who likes to help out from time to time. Like with bringing your friend back."

Aidan's brow furrowed. "You can see…him?"

"The blonde gentleman beside you? Not at all, I'm just…intuitive. What do you say? Would you like me to bring him back?"

Aidan seemed confused for a moment and he cast an uncertain glance at Bishop to gauge his reaction before his gaze slid back to the man. "Okay…well, the 'blonde gentleman' is dead, sorry. But, uh, thanks anyway." he inclined his head and turned away, only to tense when he found the man standing right before him. "Listen, pal…"

"I can bring him back. No harm, no foul. Wipe the slate clean for you. That's what you want, right? To undo your act of patricide?"

Aidan stiffened at the title. "How do you-"

"-As I said, intuitive. Now-"

Aidan's arm found purchase under the man's chin as he slammed him by the throat into the nearest wall. "Who are you and how do you know…about me and.."

"Bishop?" The man coughed a bit under the pressure on his neck and grinned. "I told you: I'm intuitive…I know things…see things…and I can do things. Even bring _him_ back."

Bishop finally spoke up, his voice insistent in Aidan's ear. "Whatever he is, he's not one of us. Kill him now, Aidan."

Aidan's gaze slid to Bishop for a moment and he noted that the other looked vaguely spooked. What did that mean? And what was with the lack of sarcasm, or even some remark that Aidan should agree to what was obviously a mad man's ramblings?

"Aidan." The man spoke and Aidan found his gaze drawn to the other. A hazy feeling settled itself over him and he had a hard time recalling why he'd gotten so angry at the man in the first place. He let his arm fall. "You can bring him back?"

"Back, and better than ever."

"How?" Aidan couldn't help it, he knew something was wrong, but the voice telling him so was far off in his mind past the haze. Past that basic desire to have his surrogate father and friend, and sometimes enemy, returned to him. That was all he could seem to focus on, a one-track destination for his mind with all other stops disregarded.

"A good magician never reveals his secrets."

"Aidan!" Bishop hissed. "He's a lunatic, finish him." he reached for Aidan's shoulder, but his hand passed through, Aidan was no longer receptive.

Aidan, if he noticed Bishop's words, gave no indication as he gazed thoughtfully at the stranger before him. "But you could really bring him back…?"

"Aidan. You _killed_ me. You don't want to bring me back, trust me. Because the first person on my hit list is that irritating mongrel." But again, Aidan didn't seem to notice Bishop at all. It confirmed his suspicions that Aidan had been drugged or otherwise captivated somehow. Even threats against Josh hadn't gotten his attention, nor the logic of the situation. And true, Bishop wasn't saying the idea of being alive again [more or less] was unappealing. Bishop just didn't trust whatever the thing before them was. If his suspicions were correct, things were grim indeed.

"I could…and the cost wouldn't be much…I'd just have to take some of the years of your life and give them to him. Sort of like sharing your life force…"

"Sharing my life force…?" Aidan repeated slowly, and then a small smile curved his lips as if that somehow made great sense. "And he'd be back."

"Aidan! This is not what you want. You're smarter than this, you're not this gullible." _Usually_.

"That's right. Easy as can be…" The man lifted a hand and let it rest on Aidan's shoulder, and it was only a frustrated Bishop who saw the glimmers of navy blue light that poured into Aidan. "What do you say? Your years for his life? Is that your wish?"

A dopey smile curved Aidan's lips. "Alright. For Bishop. That's my wish."

"No! Not for Bishop. Bishop wants you to leave, _now_."

"Consider your wish granted." The man said before he produced a small dagger and plunged it deep into Aidan's heart.

The last thing he saw before went unconscious was Bishop's face, contorted in pain.

_For you, Bishop…_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**So…tired…I was half-conscious writing most of this, I started a little of it last night. XD Hopefully it's not too much of a jumble, I already know it's a little rushed, but my sleep is worth more to me as it's quite late and I must needs be to work soon. XD I digress ! Bishop and Aidan have such a complicated relationship…and then there's Henry…I can't decide if I should like him or not yet, he seems kinda cowardly and into himself…but ah well! I digress again. XD I hope you enjoyed this, and continue reading! And leave me verbal hugs? XD Night! Or morning! Whatever it is for you!~ Witchy~ **


	2. Family Never Changes

**Second chapter! Alright. The first one was rushed, and you might be thinking: Aidan was kinda…not himself, and how did a dagger make him unconscious? The answer: you'll find out. It's all part of a larger scheme. In the meanwhile…enjoy! XD **

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_Blood. A rain of blood. The sound of gunfire. A scream across a frenzied battlefield. The chill of the air that carried the acrid scent of burnt flesh. The bitter sting of gunpowder. The booming spark of the shot. The sharp fangs buried in his neck. The cold, empty blackness as life left him. _

_The sharp, heightened sense of reality as he rose again, living and yet, not alive. _

Aidan snapped awake from the blurred memories of his past that constituted his fragmented dream. He opened his eyes slowly and then winced as the light seemed over-bright and he felt a sharp pain in his head. His whole body felt sensitive and ached slightly, and he inhaled with the realization that it seemed dull somehow…everything felt…turned off. "What…?" he mumbled as he brought a hand to his head and tried to rub away the unfamiliar pain.

"Finally awake? That's a start."

Aidan heard a voice above him and he squinted as he forced himself to open his eyes and regard the man before him. _Bishop_. Except that it wasn't really Bishop, it was the illusion brought on by blood. "What happened?" he croaked, and he was surprised to find that his throat felt raw, scratchy and thirsty, and his voice was hoarse.

"Ah. Now that's a tricky question to answer. Here's my summary. You got drunk, did some incredibly stupid things, and now here we are."

Aidan's brow furrowed and he pushed himself up slowly, still a bit put off by the general lack of well-being in his body. He looked down with a frown and then his eyes widened as he realized two things at once.

First, his heart was beating. Actually _beating_, pumping _living blood_ through his veins.

Second, his body was slight, pale, and approximately eleven years old physically.

"What the _Hell_!" Aidan jerked from the bed on instinct but found himself caught up in blankets and on unsteady legs, and he pitched forward towards the ground. But before he hit, Bishop caught him by the chest with one arm and pushed him back into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Aidan didn't waste any time in clamping a hand around a fistful of Bishop's sleeve as he glared up at the other accusingly. "What is this? What did you do?"

"What did _I_ do?" Bishop seemed affronted as he tugged his arm away from Aidan. "You're the one who offered yourself to 'save' me. Despite my advising against it, I might add."

Aidan's anger fled a moment as he struggled to recall the past night's events. Things were fuzzy, and hazy memories danced at the edge of him mind. A man in a fedora, something about a wish, the disorientation and the warmth of all-but-toxic blood. Before he could make sense of it, Bishop's finger was curved under his chin as he tilted Aidan's gaze up towards him.

"You made a deal with the devil last night, metaphorically speaking. I haven't quite figured out the kinks, but from what I can tell: you're alive again, Aidan. Human." Bishop's expression was unreadable as he pulled his hand back and regarded Aidan with a slight frown. "It's not possible, and yet, here you are. And down-sized to boot."

Aidan was stunned silent a moment before he spotted a full-length mirror in the corner. He was prepared this time as he slid from the bed and past Bishop to stumble over to the mirror. It was like seeing a ghost.

A mess of unruly black hair past his ears, the slight form covered by his now too-big shirt, his eyes bright with life, and as he watched himself, he could see the rising and the falling of his chest as he breathed. He was alive.

It was a nightmare.

Aidan whirled around to face Bishop who had taken a seat on the bed. "But…this isn't…there's no cure for being a vampire…"

"Oh, trust me, this isn't a cure, Aidan. It's a curse. That much is certain." Bishop said with distaste before he patted a spot on the bed beside him. Aidan hesitated before he headed back over and sat beside Bishop.

"If I'm…human, why am I still seeing _you_?" Aidan was thinking that all things considered, he was handling it well. After over a century of life as a vampire, he'd seen more than his fair share of weird. He just had to calm the rapidly beating heart in his chest and he'd be fine. Just fine.

Yeah. Right.

Bishop eyed Aidan a moment. "You really don't remember? Last night, your little wish?"

Aidan struggled again to recall, to sift through the hazy images, those meaningless words.

"_I want you back, not like this…I can bring him back, no harm, no foul. Wipe the slate clean…Alright, for Bishop, that's my wish…" _

Aidan stiffened as the memories came back to him and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable with Bishop's proximity. "You're alive." It wasn't a question.

"As alive as I've ever been these past centuries, yes. Thanks to you. First you kill me, then you save me, you really need to learn to stick to your decisions, Aidan."

"I was drunk, apparently."

"Apparently." Bishop echoed dryly.

Aidan clenched and unclenched a fist as he focused on breathing in and out. The sensation of his lungs expanding and falling, filled with air, his own blood pumping, it was strange and unfamiliar and yet, somehow nostalgic.

And freaking him out, there was that.

"How is this possible?" he whispered, mostly to himself, but Bishop answered anyway.

"That's something that I intend to find out. In the meantime, you're in a pretty poor situation, Aidan." Bishop mused. "If Mother finds out, she'll kill you, if Surren finds out-you'll end up dead, if Henry finds out-he'll probably kill you. And any stray that finds you might enjoy the idea of carving a name by ending the legendary Aidan."

Aidan considered that and he couldn't really deny any of it. As much as he wanted to say that Henry was on his side-he seriously doubted it. Mother wouldn't hesitate, and Surren…whatever feelings she might have for him would pale in comparison to the full-scale situation. He knew she wouldn't risk being grounded any time soon, and she wouldn't have use for a _human child_. "What about you?" he muttered.

"Me?"

Aidan lifted his gaze to Bishop's with a frown. "Where do you stand on me being killed?"

Bishop lifted a brow and after a silent moment, chuckled as he grasped Aidan's chin in his hand again and gave it a little shake. "Where I've always stood. Anyone who wishes to kill you, will have to take it up with me."

"But I-"

Bishop continued over him. "-So for now, we keep this whole thing quiet while we figure out a way to fix this whole mess."

Aidan wasn't sure he liked where this was headed. Or that he trusted Bishop's apparently selfless offer of assistance. "You're in the same boat I am, Bishop. If Mother finds out that you're alive…if _anyone_finds out…it's not like before, you're not in control here now."

Bishop's mouth fell into a grim line a moment before he smiled sardonically. "In fact, I am aware of that. But as I said, we'll just have to keep this quiet. That way, we can both walk out of this with our heads firmly attached."

Aidan still wasn't buying it, but he'd humor the other for now. "And then? When it's over?"

Bishop's gaze on Aidan was amused then. "Let's just try surviving till it's over, first." He seemed to note Aidan's reluctance though, because he attempted to ruffle Aidan's hair and Aidan pushed Bishop's hand away. Bishop only still seemed amused, rather than put off. "I already told you: there're no hard feelings. The son kills the father, that's how it is. You'll see." he murmured the last bit almost regretfully before he extended his hand to Aidan. "We're still family, Aidan. That will never change."

Aidan felt a lump form in his throat and his heart did a funny little flop at those words. Was that guilt eating at him, perhaps he felt a bit ashamed? But why…he had done what he'd had to do, to protect Josh and their life, to protect all the vampires…he'd had to kill Bishop… But now…

Aidan hesitated and then clasped his now-small hand in Bishop's to give it a shake. "Some things never do." Aidan agreed lightly, and he ignored the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that something was amiss.

_How much worse could things get anyway?_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Mmm. I still think it's rushed, and I was even awake all the times I worked on this. Blah. I have this grand idea in my head but I can't get it how I want it. Ah well, I'm still gonna try! XD Maybe tomorrow's ep and Henry will inspire meeee. XD I digress. Bishop is a sneaky fellow, and both he and Aidan are in bad positions, but I digress again! Leave me verbal hugs and such! They're inspiring and motivational and bring joy to my soul. XD Enjoy! -Witchy~**


End file.
